WASHINGTON (TNND) — The White House on Monday evening paid tribute to the late gorilla Harambe who died 10 years ago.
“Today, we remember a legend,” the White House wrote on the social media platform, X. “On this day in history, Harambe would have celebrated another birthday. An icon that became part of internet history, American culture, and an entire generation’s timeline.”
In 2016, a small boy fell into a gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo. This resulted in Harambe the gorilla approached the boy and grabbed him. While Harambe didn’t hurt the boy, a “difficult but right” decision was made to kill Harambe and the parents of the child weren’t charged.
After Harambe died, a petition titled “Justice for Harambe” popped up and got over half a million signatures.
“Tomorrow marks 10 years since we lost him,” the White House wrote on X. “Ten years since the moment the world stopped scrolling and collectively mourned something bigger than a meme. He became a symbol of loyalty, strength, chaos, unity, and the strange beauty of the internet bringing millions of people together for one cause: never forgetting Harambe.”
The White House referred to Harambe as a “true patriot” who will never be forgotten.
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“Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news,” the White House said. “And somehow, a decade later, his legacy still lives on.”